Hyman Goldstein (1891-1982)

Hyman Goldstein, c.1965

Hyman Goldstein was born on April 14, 1891 to Russian immigrant merchant Abraham B. Goldstein and Rebecca Berge in the coal mining town of Portage, Pennsylvania. He prepared at Conway Hall and entered Dickinson College with the class of 1915. He moved on to the Law Department and graduated with a law degree in 1917. While there he became a member of Iota chapter of Phi Epsilon Pi, then hosted at the Law School.

His sporting prowess gained him much of his out of class fame, however. He was a three year letterman catcher with the baseball team and a fine enough player to play semi-professional baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. His true excellence was on the football field. He was four years quarterback of the varsity and captain in 1913. He played also while in the Law Department, starring in the 1917 team which had an unbeaten season brought to a premature end by the United States entry into the First World War. "Goldie" was much admired by both team mates and opponents, which included Jim Thorpe and his legendary coach Glen "Pop" Warner, both of whom termed him the cleverest quarterback they had ever faced.

Following his foray into professional baseball and war service in the U.S. Navy, Goldstein began in 1920 a sixty year law practice in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. As a criminal defense lawyer who also enjoyed domestic relations cases, he represented generations of Carlisle residents in some often colorful cases. He served a term as president of the County Bar Association, sat on the alumni council of his old college, and on the board of the Allenberry Playhouse. The Dickinson School of Law awarded him an honorary degree in 1966.

In November, 1969, he became one of the three charter members of the newly formed Dickinson Sports Hall of Fame. He retired from his practice in 1980 and on June 7, 1982 Hyman Goldstein died at the age of ninety one. His wife and secretary, Edna Goldstein survived him.

Author of Post: 
Dickinson College Archives
Date of Post: 
2005
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